So the new MB screens aren't great... when will they be?

[Borjan]

Quick question.

There is a lot of talk about how bad the screens are in the new Alu Macbooks...

So when do people think that Apple will update them? The next big event? A silent update? Or do people think that Apple will intentionally keep the screen 'poor', do differentiate from the Pro line?

I'm just curious, I'm not even sure how much of a difference it will make to me personally. I haven't spent a great deal of time comparing them in store, might do that tomorrow...

I've realised the beauty of my particular situation is that as a student, I can buy it for a HE discounted price, then a year later, when new models come along sell it for practically the same amount I bought it! But then again, I might just be able to get by with my Mac Mini and Powerbook combo I have going right now..

 

[ucfgrad93]

I think they look pretty nice, however, screen quality is a highly subjective matter. I'd strongly suggest that you go look at them in person.

 

[nick9191]

Apple's consumer notebooks have always had piss poor screens.

My cheap Tosh which is a year older has a better screen.

 

[Indydenny]

I think they are nice!

I wouldn't pay much attention to the few that are complaining. If I set mine next to my MBA I would say it is not as sharp (rich). But viewing it alone, as I normally do, I really like it.

There are some comparison photos here if that would help. https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/591817/

One person did seem to get a poor screen in the comparison shots.

Go look at them. With a quick calibration, I think you'll like it.

 

[Digital Skunk]

Apple's consumer notebooks have always had piss poor screens.

My cheap Tosh which is a year older has a better screen.

I would agree and disagree.

All laptop screens suck by high end monitor comparisons. Some are brighter/sharper/contrastier than others but they are all subpar when compared to any H-IPS panel and/or 30 bit panel.

 

[Jimbo Slice]

I love my macbook screen, I hardly have brightness at full because I don't usually use it in the sun and its far too bright for my eyes indoor.
I guess I'm not a pro though, just a lowly consumer

 

[clyde2801]

i came, i saw, i stayed with the macbook

I took my MB to the apple store, prepared to pull the trigger on trading mine in for a MBP, but to be honest, I couldn't tell a very noticeable difference between the two screens. Yeah, the MBP was a little nicer, but I really couldn't justify giving up the small form factor (and another 700 bucks) for the slightest, barely noticeable improvement between the two screens.

Maybe it would be different in the dark, but I dont' think the Apple store would have liked me turning off their lights.

Compared to my friends midrange macbook from christmas 07, I could tell a world of difference between the two screens.

 

[giganticface]

I'd also recommend going and looking at them. After hearing a lot about how terrible they were on the net, in real life they actually impressed me. Don't get me wrong - they have some problems. But the net is full of whingers. True fact.

 

[Borjan]

Well, I went and compared the screen...

In my mind, the MBP is clearly superior, but thanks to some useful colour calibrations made by others on MR, I found the MB to be acceptable.

I just don't want to use one next to a MBP owner!

 

[nick9191]

Compared to my friends midrange macbook from christmas 07, I could tell a world of difference between the two screens.

Yep I have that MacBook. The model before it had a much better screen as opposed to mine (Santa Rosa). My teacher has both, and the 2.16 has a far superior screen.

 

[mojohanna]

Mine's great. Just got it yesterday. No pixel issues, colors look good. I can't complain. The keyboard is very easy to type on.

I think you need to stop listening to all of the fud/whiners around here and go see them for yourself. If you try to make a purchasing decision solely on the information you see here, you never will.

The new MB is a great little machine and will serve my needs well. I am sure it will do the same for you.

 

[dal20402]

Apple doesn't "intentionally keep the screen poor." It uses whatever components enable it to profit the most.

In the case of the MacBook, few enough of the intended buyers notice the difference (as this thread shows) that the highest profits come from using a cheap screen.

On the MBP, the target audience has higher standards. So Apple uses the best notebook screens available, because they know that otherwise they couldn't charge the very high MBP prices.

DigitalSkunk is correct that no laptop screen can compete with high-end desktop screens, because all laptop screens are 6-bit TN. But there is still a substantial difference. Viewing angles and contrast are both much better on the MBP and MBA screens (assuming the 2G MBA uses a similar screen to the original) than they are on the MB.

 

[highjumppudding]

they wont. apple doesn't care about the "youtube" screen on the macbook. it is a consumer machine, that's it. the pros will always have the better displays, for that reason. consumers dont usually see any issues with the macbook screens, i used to work at apple.

 

[NATO]

they wont. apple doesn't care about the "youtube" screen on the macbook. it is a consumer machine, that's it. the pros will always have the better displays, for that reason. consumers dont usually see any issues with the macbook screens, i used to work at apple.

I totally agree with you, but I think the main reason that people are getting so uptight about the screen quality in the MB vs MBP is because in the past, the MacBook and MacBook Pro were clearly different lines, you could TELL that the MBP was a machine designed for a more discerning customer. However, with the new MB and MBPs, the MB is pretty much just a more portable MBP, and because the two machines are visually identical in construction etc, people (including myself) assumed that they would also have equivalent quality displays. It didn't help that the new MBs are significantly more expensive than the previous generation. It's annoying as the smaller MB would be more practical for me, but in the end I exchanged for the MBP because the screen quality was important to me.

 

[GM5]

I know it's inferior to the MBP, but how is the GlassBook screen compared to the WhiteBook? I have yet to see a GlassBook outside of an Apple store but I know alot of people with older MBs and the display isn't a problem for me.

 

[arthursiew]

Nobody knows. If Apple really listened to the users about the display, they might consider getting some better ones.
Apple may have chosen these displays for a reason, because Apple would normally test them to see whether they are good or not. My display is great and I have nothing to complain about. I think Apple chose these displays, because they wanted a lot of features that separate them from the MBP and Air.